Neuromuscular and respiratory responses of colorado potato beetle Leptinotorsa decemlineata (Say) adults on the treatments with neem preparation
2001
Kuusik, A. | Metspalu, L. | Hiiesaar, K. | Hermann, P. (Estonian Agricultural Univ., Tartu (Estonia). Inst. of Plant Protection)
In the present work the direct neurotoxic effects of NeemAzal T/S (neem) were studied in intact diapausing adults of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) by means of full uninvasive methods. We recorded the muscular activity in adult Colorado beetles by an automatic respirometer-actograph and infra-red optical actographic device. In the optical method the beetles were irradiated with infra-red light, falling on the infra-red sensitive diodes. As the indicators of the direct toxic action of neem on this beetle there were used the freaquency and amplitudes of their neuromuscular responses, which were clearly dose-dependent. Low nonlethal doses evoked irregular and externally invisible contractions of abdominal and thoracic muscles lasting from one-two days. The regular ventilating movements in neem-treated adults were lost while the irregular spontaneous muscular conteractions had a strong ventilating effect on tracheae. The neem did not cause the maximum effect - the flaccid paralysis of somatic muscles. The beetles usually recovered from the mild poisoning during two-three days after treatments, but they showed significantly higher standard metabolic rates (SMR) than control beetles. The increased SMR was not due to the muscular spontaneous activity, instead there was suggested the direct action on the cytochrom system of respiratory chain
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by Estonian University of Life Sciences